21 Actors Who Played More Than One Character On Their TV Show

Acting is hard work, there's no doubt about it. When you're on a TV show, you have to show up week after week and deliver the material, knowing that it could all end if audiences don't connect with what you're giving. Now, just imagine that pressure, but multiplied by two, or three, or even more. That's what all of these stars were facing when they played more than one character on their TV show.

Sometimes these second characters are introduced in the final seasons, as a way to create new drama when a show is about to say goodbye. Other times, it's a plot element that's critical to the success of the entire show. Some of these shows are high quality dramas, some are classic teen melodramas, and some are sitcoms that are just trying to get a few laughs. Either way, they've got us seeing double.

Orphan Black - Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana Maslany’s tour de force performance on Orphan Black is really something to behold. On the show, she plays 11 different clones of the same person, all with distinct looks and personalities. Some clones appear in almost every episode, while there are others that we've only come across once. It's fascinating to see how the different clones come into conflict with each other, and how she keeps them separate in her mind is anyone's guess. Maslany finally won an Emmy after three seasons of the show, and it's incredibly well-deserved.

Heroes - Ali Larter

Ali Larter played double duty from the beginning on Heroes, and then she was brought back as a third character once she was killed off. As Niki Sanders, her superpower was the ability to embody her dead twin, Jessica, and wreak havoc on others. This opened up a treasure trove of possibilities, but the writers felt they couldn't go further with the character after season two, and she was killed off. They kept Larter on the show by bringing her back as political advisor Tracy Strauss, who was later revealed to be a sister of Niki and Jessica. If that sounds too far-fetched, you might not be into the chaotic world that is Heroes.

Lost - Terry O'Quinn

Throughout its six seasons, Lost was always known for its many twists and turns. Characters were mercilessly killed off, and by the fifth season, there weren't many characters left to kill. When it was main character John Locke's time to go, they found a way for actor Terry O'Quinn to stay on the show. He was brought back as the mysterious Man in Black, who turned out to be the human form of the island's terrifying monster. It was a win/win: audiences got to see more of the actor they loved, and the plot still moved forward.

The X-Files - Terry O'Quinn

Years before Lost began, Terry O'Quinn already had some practice taking on multiple roles. Back in the '90s, he appeared multiple times on the sci-fi hit The X-Files, but always playing different characters. He played an Army veteran involved in a murder investigation, an FBI agent arranging a coverup, and a villain called Shadow Man. Sounds like a lot to keep straight! O'Quinn was never more than a guest star on The X-Files, but he definitely kept popping up in important places.

Twin Peaks - Sheryl Lee

When Sheryl Lee was first cast as Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks, she was basically just supposed to play a corpse. There were a few flashback scenes, but it was not a major role. But creator David Lynch was so impressed with her work that he brought her back, this time as Laura's cousin Maddy. Sheryl became an important part of the show, and she's returned both in the movie and the revival series. There's a lesson here: even if your role seems small, you never know who you could impress!

Miami Vice - John Leguizamo

Miami Vice was one of the major TV dramas of the '80s, and it gave a career boost to stars like Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis, and Benicio del Toro. Actor John Leguizamo did the show for a couple seasons, and he just couldn't stay away. He first appeared as Orlando Calderone, the son of a prominent gangster. He played this role for two whole seasons, and then he resurfaced a few years later. This time, he played Angelo Alvarez, a drug dealer who crosses paths with some neo-Nazis. Miami really sounds crazy, huh?

How I Met Your Mother - The Entire Cast

The writers on How I Met Your Mother were always trying out crazy things to keep the show new and exciting. In season five, they came up with the idea that each of the main cast would appear as a doppelgänger of themselves, and it became an important part of the plot. Marshall and Lily decided they wouldn't try to get pregnant until they had found all five doubles, so we got treated to a season of crazy moments. Our personal favorites are Mexican Wrestler Ted and Stripper Lily, but all of the alter egos were pretty fun.

Hannah Montana - Miley Cyrus

Obviously, the whole premise of Hannah Montana is that Miley and Hannah are the same person. There's a lot of wig-switching, but it's not really two different characters. Miley Cyrus did, however, play a completely different role in season one. In one episode, Miley's lookalike cousin Luanne comes to town, and she tries to cause chaos by revealing the big Hannah secret. Her plan was unsuccessful, and Luanne was a short-lived character. Miley could then go back to living her double life in peace. Oh wait no, it was still super chaotic.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Patton Oswalt

The first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was full of guest appearances from high-quality actors, and one of the most notable was Patton Oswalt. Oswalt is a hilarious comedian who appears in many TV shows and movies, but he had probably never played triplets before. He first appeared as Eric Koenig, a strict SHIELD agent who brought some comic relief. The character was quickly killed but was replaced by his identical brother Billy. Billy got the chop too, and another brother, Sam, came after that. The world of Marvel is so crazy, but it somehow always works.

The Vampire Diaries - Nina Dobrev

Doppelgängers are an important concept in the world of The Vampire Diaries, but we won't unpack the whole thing now. Let's just focus on how Nina Dobrev plays both Elena Gilbert and her ancestor Katerina Petrova. Nina is obviously gorgeous, and she looks incredible in the period costumes, and we'd totally believe she's from Bulgaria in the 1400s. Petrova is initially portrayed as a villain, but her character is eventually revealed to be much more complicated. Dobrev left the show after season six, but she came back for the series finale and played both roles again, finally giving some closure to her family's vampire lineage.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Brent Spiner

Star Trek is a complex web of characters and timelines, so it's best not to try to figure the whole thing out. If you want a little taste of the complexity, look no further than Brent Spiner. On The Next Generation, he mainly played an android named Data, but that's not all. He also played two other related androids, Lore and B-4. As if that wasn't enough, he also played Data's creator, Noonien, AND an alternate version of Noonien named Arik Soong. Good luck trying to remember all that.

American Horror Story - Sarah Paulson

Obviously, the entire American Horror Story cast has experience playing more than one character; that's kind of the whole point. But we're giving special attention to Sarah Paulson, who has appeared in every single season, always blowing our minds with what she's able to come up with. From conjoined twins in Freak Show, to journalist Lana Winters in Asylum (and Roanaoke), Sarah has carried this show on her back for years. She's also appeared in American Crime Story, winning awards for her performance as OJ Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark. Her partnership with Ryan Murphy has created some truly special work, and we can't wait to see what she does next.

Doctor Who - Peter Capaldi

Doctor Who has had so many iterations and incarnations that even the creative team probably has trouble keeping it all straight. Peter Capaldi is certainly best known for playing The Doctor in his twelfth form, finishing up in 2017. But he had already been on the show before he took the helm. Way back in season four, he played a character named Caecilius in an episode about Pompeii. They explained this in the show, saying that The Doctor had been greatly impacted by the events in Pompeii, so he decided to take the form of Caecilius. Yeah, okay, sounds good to me.

Doctor Who - Jenna Coleman

Doctor Who isn't done with the repeating characters yet. Jenna Coleman plays Clara, who survived a starship crash, but was shattered into a million different copies. We encounter a few of these copies in different times and places, and it's pretty cool. In one era, she gets to play a Victorian governess, but sometimes she gets to keep it casual in modern clothes. They're all technically the same character, but I think it counts if you get shattered across time and space.

Westworld - Jeffrey Wright

Back when Westworld premiered in 2016, the internet was ablaze with fan theories of what the big twists would be. One of the biggest ones was that Bernard, played by Jeffrey Wright, was actually a host robot, not a human. This was confirmed in episode seven, when we find out that Anthony Hopkins has been controlling him the entire time. Bernard turns out to be a perfect replica of Arnold, one of the original founders of the park, who died long ago. When I die, please don't bring me back as a robot, okay?

One Tree Hill - Amanda Schull

On One Tree Hill, Amanda Schull plays Sara Evans, the loving but deceased wife of Clay who appears to him while he tries to cope with her death. But in season seven, Amanda gets to play Katie Ryan, as well, a Sara lookalike who pretends to be a prospective client of Clay's and she ends up stalking him using her similarities to his late wife to her advantage. When he still rejects her advances, she responds by shooting him and his new girlfriend. Well, that all escalated quickly. This show was really too much sometimes, and this plotline isn't the most believable.

Pretty Little Liars - Troian Bellisario

Pretty Little Liars was known for being packed with ridiculous plot twists and storylines right up until the end. In the final season, we were introduced to Alex Drake, Spencer's lookalike who grew up in London but returns to cause some trouble. She's determined to get justice for Charlotte's death, and it's later revealed that she's both Spencer's twin sister and A.D. We're still not sure we understand everything that went on here, but Troian Bellisario certainly stayed busy playing both roles. Long live Pretty Little Liars, even if it was absolutely cray.

The Flash - Danielle Panabaker

It's pretty common for superheroes to live a completely different life, separate from their life of fighting crime. On The Flash, Danielle Panabaker's human side and superhero side are completely split personalities, but the actress plays each to perfection. Caitlin Snow spends her days helping Team Flash on a purely scientific level and is the sweet and caring character they need around. Her other persona, however, is far more interesting. As the sometimes-good, sometimes-evil Killer Frost, who takes over Caitlin's body when she gets angry or scared, she has the ability to create things out of ice with her mind, sort of like Elsa in Frozen. She uses her powers for important things like defeating Nazis, which we love. She's one of the coolest characters on the show, and it's always great to see women kicking ass on TV.

Liv and Maddie - Dove Cameron

It's a pretty intense responsibility to star in a show where you play both of the title characters. Dove Cameron did just that on the Disney Channel show Liv and Maddie, and the two characters, who are twins, were pretty different from each other. One was returning home from a life of being a famous child star, while the other was just a normal teenage girl. Having to switch back and forth between the two personalities must have been difficult, not to mention acting with yourself in scenes. Dove is still so young, and she definitely has a promising career ahead of her.

The Lying Game - Alexandra Chando

The "twins separated at birth" idea is always a fun one to play with. In The Lying Game, Alexandra Chando played Sutton and Emma, a pair of separated twins. One was adopted and grew up in a wealthy family, while the other grew up in the foster care system. The show only ran for two seasons on ABC Family, but it brought up interesting questions of how our upbringing changes who we are. Naturally, there was also plenty of drama, but the series, unfortunately, ended on an unresolved cliffhanger.

Friends - Lisa Kudrow

Before being cast in Friends, Lisa Kudrow was already appearing in another hit NBC sitcom. She played Ursula, a ditzy waitress on at Paul and Jamie's favorite restaurant on Mad About You. When Friends began, the producers decided to keep Ursula around, and she was revealed to be Phoebe's sister. She appeared in eight episodes of Friends over the years, and audiences always loved the sight gag of seeing Phoebe and Ursula together. We obviously love Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe, but Ursula was pretty fun, too.